Sunday, May 19, 2013

Most of my hikes in Griffith Park are on dusty trails to destinations like its peaks or an event at the observatory. But today’s hike was very different. On one hand, it did involve walking miles on wide trails, being among plants, wildlife, streams, and waterfalls, and enjoying the great outdoors. But on the other hand, the trails are paved, the plants grow in meticulously landscaped gardens, the wildlife lives in enclosures, and the water features were man made. Whether or not a day at the Los Angeles Zoo can be considered a real hike is certainly up for debate. But since it is my blog, I’ll call today’s romp in Griffith a hike!

The occasion for the day was to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. I’ve not been to the L.A. Zoo in more the 20 years, so this was a splendid opportunity to explore another dimension of our amazing Griffith Park. The party included my daughter, her friend, my wife, and me.

A couple years ago I thoroughly enjoyed reading Griffith Park: A Centennial History, by Mike Eberts. The history of Griffith Park is fascinating, as is the colorful life of its namesake, Col. Griffith J. Griffith. The Griffith Park Zoo opened in 1912 with 15 animals and was quite primitive by today’s standards. But a great city needs a great Zoo just as it needs a great park. The process of planning the new zoo took years and involved the consideration of various sites, including Elysian Park. But in the end, providence prevailed and the new, world-class Los Angeles Zoo opened its doors in Griffith Park, November 28, 1966.

We paid our admission ($17 each) and walked through the entry gate at 11 a.m. to begin our adventure. My daughter was here last year, and since today is her birthday, she led our meandering through the zoo. I was soon impressed that even if there were no animals here, the exquisite botanic gardens could thoroughly entertain me for the day.

Here are some photo highlights of our day at the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park:

Friday, May 10, 2013

For years I’ve appreciated Michael Charters and his excellent website, CalFlora.net. And I’ve exchanged emails with Michael occasionally and enjoy his field trip photo galleries. Recently he decided to focus his botanizing on the San Gabriels and that occasioned the two of us hooking up for a hike in Fish Canyon.

Over the years Fish Canyon has been a nearby laboratory for me to learn about plants as I’ve been able to observe their behavior throughout the seasons. And I have had the opportunity to be on Fish Canyon Trail with such botanical gurus as Bob Muns, Cliff and Gabby McLean, and Bill Hogshead. So I was delighted to spend a day with Michael Charters in Fish Canyon, photographing plants, enjoying good conversation, and soaking in the beauty of the canyon. And we had the canyon virtually to ourselves! I made special arrangements with the folks at Vulcan Materials to gain access through their quarry. We hiked it on a Friday, so we encountered only one party of two for the whole day (it sure beats being with the hundreds who will be on the trail with the Vulcan access day).

Michael and I met at 8 a.m. at the front gate of Vulcan’s Azusa Rock. The security guard assisted us through quarry to the beginning of the trail. It rained earlier in the week and yesterday, so everything was fresh. It took us four and a half hours to meander the two miles to Fish Canyon Falls. The falls where flowing a little better than when I was here a month ago, no doubt the results of recent rains. I thoroughly enjoyed Michael’s company and gleaned much from him about plants. We finished our day at 3:30.

Epilog - What an outstanding day in my beloved Fish Canyon. I think of my early years hiking the San Gabriels and being overwhelmed by the botanic diversity...virtually every plant was unknown to me. Now I walk along the trail and greet many plants by their names and have such a sense of familiarity and appreciation for nature. And to keep me humble, I so value the botanical expertise of people like Michael Charters and his amazing knowledge and his unselfish efforts to share his knowledge with others.

About Me

I love to hike and to help others enjoy the sport. For more than a decade, my efforts on Dan's Hiking Pages have helped thousands of hikers adventure into the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

In June 2010, I launched this hiking blog to primarily share narratives of my various hikes. Most of the blog posts point back to the formal hike descriptions on Dan's Hiking Pages. I believe it is helpful to draw a clear line between telling my story and providing reliable hike guides. So for the stories, read my blog; for hike descriptions helping you to hike safely, enjoyably, and successfully, follow the links to my hiking pages. Happy hiking!